Why El Niño 2026 has scientists worried | The Global Story

Climate scientists have put out a dire warning about this year’s El Niño; that it will likely be the worst in recorded history.

And if previous ‘super’ El Niños are anything to go by, that means that this cycle will bring extreme weather - flooding, drought, wildfires, and hunger- across the world.

But how do scientists know what the effects of an El Niño will be? And how do they communicate that information to governments and the public in a way that causes calm preparedness instead of panic?

Tom Di Liberto is a former climate scientist for the US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a science communicator, who specialises in monitoring El Niño phenomena. He joins Tristan Redman and Asma Khalid on today’s The Global Story.

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#BBCNews #elnino #climatechange

00:00 Introduction
05:03 What is an El Niño?
07:45 What extreme weather is most likely during an El Niño?
10:05 Impact on global trade
12:11 Projected deaths because of an El Niño
13:44 This is the strongest El Niño in recorded history
15:43 The world's ability to mitigate the impacts of a strong El Niño
17:33 Doge cuts, the end of USAID and scientists' fears
21:31 How to prepare for extreme weather